[nxx788]

Police in America exist universally in a position where using their authority is basically unchecked and assumed by default to be "the right thing". They have incredibly dangerous powers, and by and large the response to them wielding those powers is, "if you did nothing wrong, then the police won't harass you."

This dynamic invites bad behavior, and no cop operates outside of this environment.

Add onto this the fact that cops take courses like "killology" that teach them that they are warriors, not servants, and it's a recipe for abuse after abuse.

And the actions of a police officer can send someone to an underfunded justice department, causing an innocent person to be sent to jail to await trial, and then lose their job or relationship or community.

So, when I say, "All Cops Are Bastards", I'm not saying cops are rude or mean, I'm saying, all cops exist in a system that is set up to encourage exactly the sort of behavior this article shows. It's not a judgement on whether I think an individual cop is polite or friendly, it's a condemnation of the systemic issues that exist.

There are ways we could fix this, there are ways we could get to community led policing that would make me change my tune. They are probably expensive and would take time to get right before they got cheap again. But until then, ACAB.